SFO International Council - Weekly edition
Volume: 5 - N. 8 - 1999 - February - III
From: Letter to the Assistants, 1998, N. 3
Nils Thompson, OFM, General Spiritual Assistant
In order to understand altius moderamen or pastoral ministry with the Secular Franciscan Order, it is necessary to understand what a "pastor" is. In our Catholic Church the common popular understanding of the role of a Pastor is that "he is man who is in charge of everything at the parish." There are, of course, sharper distinctions made in common law of the Church about the role of a pastor. But for Spiritual Assistants to the Secular Franciscans the pastoring role is best described by the title, "Spiritual Assistant." We only assist the Secular Franciscans, we are not "in charge" of anything with them. We are not, actually, even the only spiritual experts because the entire Fraternity has responsibility for the spiritual life of each member of the Fraternity (SFO Gen.Const.37:2,3), I believe it is essential that we recognize this understanding or model of pastoring and act accordingly.
What follows grew out of a conversation with a Minister Provincial who asked me some very important questions about our ministry with S.F.O. One question, e.g., was "Now that there is regionalization, we don't have Provincial Spiritual Assistants any more, do we?" Then he said, "No one seems to know a whole lot about this these days, because of the changes." I was very touched by his desire to learn how he might better serve the Secular Franciscans. What follows are some of the answers I offered him.
The Friars Minor were assigned by the Holy See in 1451 to pastoral care of the SFO. This was much later extended to the T.O.R. Friars. This ministry is an integral part of our common Franciscan Vocation, which we share with the S.F.O. A really important point is that we don't "work for" the SFO, we Assistants work for the Friars, doing the friars' job! We should not expect payment from the SFO because we are only doing our job assigned by the Holy See. If they wish to help us, thank God! A rule of thumb might be: if the Assistant does something asked for by the SFO, the SFO should pay for it, if it is something asked for by the friars, the Friars should pay for it.
Provincial S.F.O. Assistant: ministry directed towards the Friars
Each Province is still required to have a Friar who is delegated by the Minister of the Province, to exercise the "altius moderamen" or pastoral care of the Secular Franciscans in Fraternities established by that Province. The Provincial Spiritual Assistant ordinarily (a) Establishes new Fraternities in the name of the Friar Province (with the Provincial's permission and the knowledge of the local Bishop). (b) Assigns or recommends to the Provincial the assignment of local and regional Spiritual Assistants. (c) Must see to it that Pastoral Visitations of local Fraternities be done–this may be done by the Regional Assistant, but it is the Friar Province's responsibility to be sure it is done. (d) Must assure that friars in Initial Formation are introduced to the Secular Franciscan Order as an integral part of our Franciscan Family. (e) He must animate friars in on-going Formation to share in realistic ways our common vocation with the S.F.O.
Regional S.F.O. Assistant(s): ministry directed towards the Secular Franciscans
Please note that we are not talking about civil "regions" but the areas which the S.F.O. has determined as "regions" to simplify its self-government. SFO Regional Spiritual Assistants are also to be appointed by the Friar Provincial Minister and Definitory for each SFO Region where their Province has the responsibility of altius moderamen. What this means in practice is this: (a) Anywhere a Friar Province has canonically established a Fraternity of SFO, it must supply a Regional Assistant. (b) In SFO Regions where there is more than one Friar Province of the same Obedience represented with local Fraternities of SFO, the Provincials of that Obedience decide which Friar will cover this task for that Obedience. There is only one Regional Assistant for each Region for each Obedience. (c) This does not mean that there is only one Regional Assistant for all the Obediences (unless the proper National Statutes direct this). So, e.g., if in some SFO Region there are 50 Fraternities cared for by the OFM from three Provinces, 12 by the Conventual Friars from one Province, 1 by the T.O.R. Friars from one Province, and 30 by the Capuchin Friars from 3 Provinces, the Regional Conference will consist of four Regional Assistants, one from each Obedience, not one from each friar Province.
Each Region has a Conference of Regional Spiritual Assistants, made up of only one from each Friar Obedience with altius moderamen anywhere in the Region. The Conference can add others if they wish, and function collegially. The Conference of Regional Assistants must devise among themselves which one will be President of the Conference and length of his term, etc. BUT: the others must take an active part in exercising pastoral care of the entire Region. This is just for convenience, not to excuse any Obedience from taking part, no matter how few or how many Fraternities are in their pastoral care.
Spiritual Assistants and Animators:
This distinction has caused endless problems and hurt feelings – because the current SFO General Constitutions insists that a Spiritual Assistant must be an ordained Friar. I believe that this grew from a limited understanding of the "pastoral" role. This will be changed in October 1999, we hope, through a proposed change in the Constitutions at their General Chapter in Madrid.
This means:
(a) "Animation" should now be seen as the task of the whole
Fraternity, to give life to each other. Of course, all Spiritual
Assistants are also to "animate" Fraternities.
(b) Local Spiritual Assistants are to be assigned in this order:
First choice is to be given to a Friar, ordained or not, or to
Franciscan Sister, or to a Diocesan Priest or Deacon who is a
Secular Franciscan. If necessary, a Diocesan priest who is not SFO
may be Assistant, if he understands the role. Failing that, ask the
National Assistants what to do.
(c) The Fraternity asks for an assistant, and often asks for a
specific person, but only the Provincial Assistant can either
appoint him or her or recommend him or her to his Provincial.
(d) For the time being, I think it is better to have as Regional
Assistants a friar, ordained or not, when possible. When we have a
clearer understanding of the role of spiritual assistant, as the
responsibility of the Friar Obediences, we can re-examine the
office of Regional Spiritual Assistant.